NFC Security Best Practices

Introduction to NFC Security

NFC technology is secure by design, primarily because of its extremely short range. However, like any technology, it's important to follow best practices to ensure your data and your users remain safe. Here are the key principles to follow when using NFC tags, especially for applications like digital business cards.

1. Share Public Information Only

Treat your NFC tag like you would a paper business card. The most important rule is to only program it with information you are comfortable sharing publicly. Never store sensitive data like passwords, private keys, or financial information on a standard NFC tag.

2. Link to a Profile You Control

Instead of trying to store all your information directly on the tag, it's often better to link to a single, dynamic online profile. This could be your personal website, a LinkedIn profile, or a Linktree-style landing page. This approach has two major security benefits:

• Easy Updates: If your contact information changes, you can update your online profile without needing to rewrite your NFC tag. This ensures your tag never points to outdated or incorrect information.
• Minimal Data Exposure: The tag itself only contains a URL, minimizing the data stored on the physical chip.

3. Lock Your NFC Tag (Make it Read-Only)

Most NFC tags come unlocked, meaning anyone with an NFC-writing app could potentially change the data on them. To prevent this, you should lock your tag after you've written your final data to it. A locked tag becomes read-only, permanently preventing any future modifications. While our own Web NFC tool does not currently support locking, many free NFC apps available on app stores provide this essential function.

4. Be Mindful of Your Surroundings

Because NFC requires such close proximity (a few centimeters), 'skimming' attacks are very difficult to pull off without you noticing. However, it's still good practice to be aware of when and where you tap your card, just as you would with a contactless credit card. Only tap your card on trusted devices.

Conclusion

By following these simple best practices—sharing public data, linking to a dynamic profile, and locking your tag—you can confidently use NFC technology as a secure, powerful, and modern tool for networking and beyond.